Black Roses
by thoth-moon
Summary: Love. Ai. It lifts you up when you are down, nurtures you when your spirit is weak, and serves as a candle in your darkest hour. But what happens, what can you do, when the one you love . . . ?
1. Black

A story that has been going through my head for a few months, now debuting in part to help pass the time between other story updates. Don't allow the mood of this first chapter to put you off, because I assure you that it does pick up.

* * *

The Black Roses  
Chapter I: Black  
July 18, 2006

'What is with the Ningen infatuation with flowers?' Hiei wondered, sullenly observing the shop's interior.

Through the florist's windows he cold see the world outside- grey, dormant, desolate. Light and life had yet to return from their sleep, and still the humans sought to carve within the natural world one of their own. They used electricity to fuel their heat and their artificial lights, and here in this small store it looked like someone had tried to incarcerate a rainbow. In the natural world, these flowers would have either died or gone into a seasonal coma. Instead, they were cultivated by humans under a false sun, and then cut and kept alive in coolers, selected and assembled in decorative arrangements, slowly dying all the while. Finally they would reach their last destination, and nature would take back control, and the life the humans had prolonged would seep out as the flowers at last withered.

And what was Hiei doing in a flower shop in the Ningenkai? Ironically, buying flowers.

His eyes focused on some blooms situated up near the counter. Being no expert on botany, he could not identify what breed of flower they were, but found himself attracted to the color. 'Ai,' he thought. Such a lovely indigo hue.

Ai. Ai was also love.

Love was when a mother pleaded for her son's life, and wept helplessly as he was hurled to the merciless forests below. It was when a mixed-up creature was willing to give his life in exchange for that of the prey he had come to call 'Mother.' It was what kept a nameless, faceless brother always watching out, incognito, for the safety and happiness of his little sister. It inspired such devotion and loyalty toward a lover that one would stand by his side even while he went mad and sought world annihilation. It motivated a demon to starve himself to death, rather than survive off of the flesh of the species of someone he had loved. If lifted you up when you were down, nurtured you when your spirit was weak, and served as a candle in your darkest hour.

But what happened, what could you do, when the one you loved . . . ?

Where were the black flowers, he wondered. There were many dark and muted colors, but he did not see any flowers resembling the ones someone had once told him about. . . .

* * *

"Something's wrong," Hiei said, staring at his companion. "You're not your annoying self. Are you sick?"

Kurama shifted a little, but did not answer immediately. He sat with one leg stretched in front of him, the other folded against his chest. His less than vibrant complexion suggested that he might actually be ill. "Perhaps," he murmured. "Hiei, have you ever thought about death?"

"What?" The question had caught him off guard. "Why?"

The redhead closed his eyes. "Never mind. I already know the answer. You have thought about death, a lot- the deaths of those you hate, of those you love- you've thought about your own death. Wanted it, perhaps. I have."

Hiei furrowed his brow. "You've wanted my death?"

"No, Hiei, not your death. Never your death."

"Then what are you talking about?" he asked cautiously. Kurama didn't answer, and again Hiei noticed how lackluster he looked, how he was shivering. "You're cold," Hiei said, surprising himself somewhat when he offered his cloak to Kurama, who tried to reject it. "If you're not already sick, you will be. Take this, or I'll tie you into it."

Kurama took it, reluctantly. "What do you know about black, Hiei?" he asked, staring down at the material that now covered him.

"Why?"

"It's just a question."

Hiei sighed and rolled his eyes. "Black is the absence of light. It is the absence of color- or all the colors mixed together, depending on how you look at it." He eyed Kurama, who merely looked at him, so he continued. "Symbolically, black can mean positive things, but it's often used to depict despair and death." He heaved another sigh. "Are you satisfied? I've become you."

The Fox smiled a little, but it vanished as quickly as it had come. "Black is what mourners wear."

"Yes, I already said that," Hiei said impatiently. "Black represents dea-." He stared at Kurama, who calmly stared back. "Kurama," he said slowly, "you're not-?"

"Hiei," the redhead interrupted. "When I die- and I _will _die before you," he added when Hiei began to object, "because I am a human now."

". . . You're a demon," Hiei protested, but he knew what Kurama meant. Though he was and always would be a demon, he now resided in human flesh. Even if both of them lived out the course of their natural lives, human bodies still wore out much quicker. "When you die," the Koorime said.

"When I die, though I have never ruled out having my ashes scattered, I think that my family- my mother in particular- would prefer I were interred in the ground, under a marker bearing my name."

"Kurama," Hiei said, confused, "if you died naturally, I don't think your mother would still-"

"When I die, I want you to do two things for me."

He hated his friend for this melancholy conversation. "What are they?"

"From time to time, I want you to look in on my family."

Hiei thought of the woman, the man, and the boy. "But, if you die naturally . . ."

"You only have to do the second task once, if you wish."

"And that is?" he asked, wondering if Kurama actually was sick.

"Humans and demons share the custom of laying down flowers at the resting places of their dead, as I'm sure you're aware. Hiei, when I die, I want you to put roses on my grave."

Kurama _did _look pale, Hiei noted. "Is that all?" he asked quietly.

His friend nodded. "They have to be black," the Fox added.

"Black?"

"Do you know what the black rose means?"

"Black represents death," Hiei said, again.

"Yes, but a black rose means something else, too." Kurama's voice was hoarse. "Do you know what that is, Hiei?"

Were Kurama's eyes brighter than usual, or was it his imagination? "No, what?"

"The black rose . . . represents insanity."


	2. Snow

I'm happy to see the reception this story has so far received. Already having drafts of many of the chapters to come already written out, I hope to keep the readers' waiting for updates at a minimum. Keeping that in mind, it's my pleasure to present Chapter II, "Snow."

* * *

Black Roses  
Chapter II  
Snow  
July 20, 2006

Yukina looked over her shoulder apprehensively, having heard a noise. "Kazuma . . ." she murmured, clinging to Kuwabara.

"Don't worry, Yukina," he said. "I have it all under control-"

Suddenly the enemy attacked, bellowing a war cry and hurling his weapon at the couple. Yukina shrieked.

"Hey!" Kuwabara shouted. "No fair, Urameshi! She wasn't armed. Are you okay, Yukina?"

The ice maiden scrunched up her face while she wiped off the snow. "I'm fine, it's just really cold."

Kurama laughed a little, watching the snowball fight from Genkai's porch. "You should join them, Hiei," he told the barely visible shadow hiding among the branches of a nearby evergreen tree. "With your speed and agility, I believe you'd do well."

Snow fell from the tree as its branches began to sway, and Hiei materialized, glaring at Kurama. "I don't play games," he replied acridly, picking evergreen needles out of his clothes. "Why don't _you _join them?"

"I'm not up to games right now," the Fox replied.

"Hn." Hiei looked up one side of the porch and down the other. "What are you doing sitting here by yourself, anyway?"

"Same as you, watching our friends clobber each other with packed snow. Besides, I am not by myself. You're here, too."

"Hey Shrimp!" Kuwabara bellowed, seeing Hiei. "Think fast!"

Hiei turned his head to glare at Kuwabara, only to get a face-full of snow. He narrowed his eyes and began to growl. Kurama smiled, brushing spattered snow off of himself. "It's a game, Hiei."

"What's the matter?" the carrot-top taunted, jogging to the porch, a triumphant grin on his face. "You gonna melt?"

The Jaganshi reached for his katana; Kurama quickly grabbed his hand. "It's only a game," he reminded Hiei. And then he turned to Kuwabara, and said, "I don't believe Hiei's been snowballed before," with a sly smile on his face.

Kuwabara donned a face suggesting revulsion, while behind him Yusuke doubled over, laughing hysterically. "Sick!" he exclaimed. "Kurama, that's gross!"

"Whoo!" Yusuke howled, falling into the snow. "Aw man, I can't believe _Kurama_, of all people, said that!"

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"You snowballed Hiei!"

Hiei rolled his eyes, and looked at Kurama. "Snowballing means more than throwing snowballs, I presume."

Kurama nodded, trying to hide his smile, and whispered into the Koorime's ear, "Snowballing is a sexual term. When someone performs oral sex on a man, instead of swallowing or spitting out the semen, they kiss the man and deposit it in his mouth." Hiei widened his eyes, and then glowered at Kuwabara.

"What does it mean?" Yukina asked innocently.

"Um, I'll tell you later," Kuwabara said. Hiei scowled.

"I should be going," Kurama announced, looking at his watch.

"All right," Yusuke said. "Don't disappear for six months or anything," he teased.

"That sounds like something _you'd _do, Detective," Hiei muttered.

The redhead smiled half-heartedly. "I'll try not to," he said, turning to leave.

Hiei eyed Kurama's backside as he descended the temple steps. "Why would he disappear for six months?"

Yusuke shrugged. "It was a joke, sort of." He shifted his weight. "You wouldn't get it; you haven't been around here lately."

"What would I not 'get'?"

Kuwabara scratched his neck. ". . . Let's just say that was the best mood any of us have seen Kurama in for a while. Of course, this was also the first time any of us have _seen _him in a few weeks."

"Where has he been?"

The carrot-top pressed his lips. "He's been around, but he's been . . . _distant_. He's acting like you."

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, maybe- If you're a homicidal psychotic dwarf."

Hiei drew his katana. "Keep in mind that Kurama is no longer here to stop me from doing as I please," he growled.

"True," Yusuke said. "_But _there's plenty of Spirit and Demon World officials to deal with you afterwards." He raised his eyebrows. "Hey, you're an official, right? Would you have to punish yourself?" The Jaganshi glared while Yusuke grinned like an idiot.

"Hiei, why don't you talk to him?" Yukina suggested. "He seemed more like himself with you here."

* * *

Where was he? Hiei glanced at a street sign in passing. Not the street he wanted.

'Don't look for him at his mother's house,' Yusuke had told him. 'He won't be there.'

'He moved out last month,' Kuwabara had added. 'He has a place downtown now.'

Hiei did recall Kurama mentioning something about finding his own home. According to the others, he was living in an apartment not too far from the school he had attended.

It didn't take Hiei long to locate the neighborhood, and soon after that he found Kurama's new dwelling. The front yard was reminiscent of the redhead's former one, featuring a tree with a branch that stretched out toward the second story window. A perfect perch. He landed on it, slipping a little on bark made slick from snow and ice, and looked inside. Kurama was sitting with his back to the window, working on a computer. Oh, yeah. That was his job now.

A cracking noise shifted Hiei's attention skyward. That noise, what was it- a bird, perhaps? No, he had never heard a bird make that sort of noise before.

"Stalking me, Hiei?"

"Hn?" The Koorime looked away from the sky, forgetting the noise, and to the now-open window where Kurama stood.

"I saw your reflection in the monitor screen. I apologize if that foils your intentions to spy."

"Why would I?" he retorted. "All you're doing is boring Ningen things."

Kurama laughed a little, nodding in agreement. "It can be tedious."

"Then why do it?"

"I choose to," he replied straightforwardly.

What a waste, Hiei thought. He looked up, hearing that cracking noise again. What _was _that?

Kurama heard it, too, and also looked up. He widened his eyes. "Hiei, move."

"What?"

"Move."

"Why?" he demanded, as the sound suddenly grew louder.

_Crrrack!_ A branch higher up, heavy with ice and snow, splintered away from the rest of the tree. It hung from a thin strip of bark for a moment, and then fell, striking Hiei in the head on its way to the ground. The Jaganshi stumbled, his face blank, and plunged head first to the snow below.

He lay face down, stunned at first, but then picked himself up, spitting snow out of his mouth and rubbing his now numb face. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Kurama was now standing on the front steps, staring at him. "Shut up," he said, sure that the redhead was going to laugh.

"Are you all right?" Kurama asked, without even a bare hint of a smile on his face.

"I'll live."

"Are you bleeding at all?"

"I'm fine!" he snapped.

The Fox ignored Hiei's agitation, and despite being barefoot stepped into the snow and examined his friend closely. Hiei growled when Kurama, without asking permission or saying what he was doing, tilted the Koorime's head upward. "Follow my finger with your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it." He held up his index finger and began moving it this way and that. Hiei followed it, lips curled in a silent snarl at Kurama. "Are you satisfied?" he demanded when Kurama released him.

"You appear to be all right," Kurama said.

"Which is what I already told you," Hiei retorted.

Kurama shivered a little, wishing now that he had thought of shoes. "Come inside," he said to Hiei, who followed him indoors.

Hiei examined the apartment's interior. They stood in the living room, and beyond that he could see the kitchen and a bathroom. To his left stood a flight of stairs leading up to the second story. It wasn't too different from the other house, except significantly reduced in size. "Neat," he said sarcastically, referring to the disorderly arrangement of furnishings and boxes.

"I'm still settling in," Kurama explained. "Slowly."

"No, _really_?"

The Fox laughed. "Does your head hurt? I can get you an ibuprofen."

"You don't-." He rolled his eyes as Kurama fetched the medicine anyhow. ". . . Have to," he finished, while the redhead presented him with two pills and a glass of water.

"Hiei, you were talking to _me_, fell out of _my _tree, and landed in _my _yard. Yes, I do have to. Besides, it's common courtesy." He motioned for Hiei to follow him upstairs.

Kurama led Hiei into what the Koorime supposed would eventually be a study, once the bookshelves were filled and the boxes cleared out. "I just completed this," he said, showing Hiei the computer.

The screen featured a simplified maze, and bright-colored globs chasing a blue circle. "What is it?"

"Pac-Man. It's a game."

". . . Did you make it?"

"No, it's an old game. However, Pac-Man," he pointed to the hungry circle, "is usually yellow."

"You changed its color."

"It's harder than it sounds. It requires knowledge of code and how to change code."

"This is for your job?"

"I . . . wouldn't call it my job, per se, but yes."

"_Invigorating_."

"We can't all be a warlord's right hand."

"You could have been," he pointed out. Kurama didn't reply. He stretched, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the tree. "Malevolent piece of lumber," he muttered.

"Would you like to play?" Kurama asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Here." The Fox gave Hiei his chair. "You are Pac-Man. Your objective is to eat all those dots, and to avoid being eaten by the ghosts." He pointed to the globs. "You use these to move." He showed Hiei the arrows on the keyboard.

Hiei played a round, and another, and another. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until Kurama tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if he would like some soup, having brought up two bowls. As he sipped his, he realized that between telling him how to play Pac Man and offering him food, Kurama hadn't uttered a single word. "You're so quiet," he observed.

"Pardon?"

"Usually you would have coerced me into conversation by now."

"I . . . thought I had," the Fox replied, draining his soup bowl.

"Have you been avoiding the others?"

"What?" Kurama frowned. "Who said that?"

"They did, sort of."

"I see." His frown grew more distinct. "It's not what they think. I'm not going out of my way to avoid anyone, I've . . ." He shrugged. "I've wanted solitude lately, to meditate on some matters." The Fox leaned back in his seat, lapsing into silence again.

Hiei wondered if that was why Kurama had moved out of his mother's house, and what these 'matters' were. He glanced at his friend, who was staring into the bottom of his bowl.

"Something's wrong. You're not your annoying self. Are you sick?"

* * *

Hiei left the florist's, clutching his flowers. It had grown colder, and snow was beginning to fall from the sky. He shook his head as the flakes began to accumulate in his hair.

Taking the possibly slippery conditions into account, and not wanting to risk startling the people he was sure he would see, Hiei opted to travel at a human's pace. He knew of a bus stop a block away.

The cold bit at him, and he clutched his bouquet closer, hoping that the temperature didn't cause any harm to the roses. He wanted them to be in decent shape when he arrived at the . . .

His vision grew blurry, and he was thankful for the weather. If any passersby looked at him, all they would see was a man with snow in his eyes.


	3. Revelations

No going back and forth this time- all of this chapter is set prior to Hiei visiting the florist's. It's tone is a little more melancholy, I believe, but also sheds a little light on Kurama's conflict.

* * *

Black Roses  
Chapter III  
Revelations  
August 7, 2006

Kurama smiled as he answered the door. "Why, hello Hiei. I see you chose to use the door this time."

"Hah," the Jaganshi said sarcastically. "May I come in?" he added impatiently.

"Of course. I wouldn't want another branch to fall on you."

The redhead appeared to be in the middle of lunch. Hiei raised an eyebrow when he saw what was on the menu. "More soup?"

"It's cheap and easy to prepare. I haven't felt up to the effort of more complex cuisine, nor have I had the appetite for it." Hiei watched him take a few spoonfuls, but he didn't seem to have much of an appetite for the soup, either. "I'm rather surprised by you, Hiei," Kurama said. "You've broken your pattern of infrequent visits. Are you lonely, or is something the matter?"

"Are you sick?" Hiei asked suddenly.

"You asked that last time."

"I'm asking you now."

Kurama's face lost all expression. "That … would depend," he replied, staring into his soup.

"On what?"

"What your definition of being sick is."

Hiei gave him a hard look. "You made requests to me regarding your death. Are you planning to die anytime soon?"

His companion smiled again, but this one was different from the smile he had greeted Hiei with. This one was tinged with something disheartening. "No, Hiei. I'm not doing anything that might kill me, yet."

"That's not funny."

"I know." He donned a pensive look. "… Things have changed, haven't they?"

Hiei shrugged. "I suppose."

"We've all changed," he continued. "Kuwabara's attending college this year; Yusuke's gotten in touch with his heritage; you've gone from plotting to take over the Human World to protecting its borders-"

"_Patrol_," Hiei growled. "I _patrol _the borders and keep those idiots in their place."

He smiled. "All right, _patrol_. But you've still come a long way."

Hiei rolled his eyes at the praise. "And what about you?"

The Fox's face fell. "… Demons don't assimilate into humanity well."

His ambiguity earned an intrigued look. "What do you mean?" Hiei asked.

"I've become a fusion of mismatched components, two opposing sides within me. I can't isolate either side, since my current self can not exist if either one no longer does." He tried to smile, but failed. "I'm trapped in a stalemate with myself, and neither I nor … well, I, can win. Does that make any sense?"

Hiei didn't answer, still digesting what Kurama had told him. "Is this the cause of all your talk of death and your black roses?" he asked.

"I suppose so," Kurama replied, his voice hollow.

The Jaganshi dreaded asking the next question. "And, your death … Are you thinking of causing that death?" Kurama didn't answer. "_Kurama?_" he pressed, a pleading note in his voice.

"You know my thoughts on suicide," the redhead told him, but there was something about his tone, about his expression… "Though- Though I fear I may be in danger of becoming a hypocrite."

No wonder Kurama was avoiding people, Hiei thought, feeling his stomach clench. The Fox did not want this stark contrast to the view held of him to be revealed as it grew harder for him to suppress it.

"I'm sorry, Hiei. This must bother you."

"Yes," he admitted, "it does. But I don't want you to shut up about it." He paused. "I _am_ curious as to why you're sharing all of this with me, and directing your post-mortem requests to me, and me only."

Kurama was quiet for a while, face contemplative, before he mustered a smile and answered: "Well, perhaps it is because you're the only one to approach me and ask what was wrong." Suddenly he looked conflicted, as though he had more he wanted to say but was hesitant to open his mouth again. "Besides, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I think that, though I love my family and friends, I…."

Hiei noticed how Kurama's hands were shaking, how his face had changed from wistful to something somehow more serious.

"… I care about you on a completely different level," he concluded, staring at nothing.

Hiei went rigid, feeling like the wind had gone out of him. "What?"

The redhead gave him an apologetic look. "You might call it love, or something close to it." He smiled sardonically. "At another point in time, I might have been wary of a violent reaction toward this from you, but now that possibility does not seem so horrible." He laughed.

"Your sense of humor has grown twisted as of late," Hiei remarked uneasily.

Kurama shrugged. "I steadied your sword the other day," he reminded him. "Are you going to turn it on me now?"

Hiei pulled out the weapon in question, staring at it thoughtfully, and then gave his friend an curious look. "Now why would I do a thing like that?" he asked, sheathing it. "Though I might wonder at your taste in crushes…."

"I don't expect anything of you," Kurama told him hastily.

He nodded slowly. "All right." Suddenly he found the back of his hand extremely fascinating. "How do you-." He ran his fingers through his hair. "How do you know that you, um, care about me on that … different level?"

The Fox took a deep breath. "I don't know," he answered. "It's something I've felt for you for a long time; by now it's as natural to me as breathing is." He gave Hiei an awkward smile. "I'm sorry if I've put you in an uncomfortable position. I just wanted you to know, in case anything happens."

"Nothing's going to happen," Hiei said quickly.

"You … don't know that," Kurama told him, putting a hand over his face.

"Don't say that," the Jaganshi spat, feeling overwhelmed by these new revelations. Everything Kurama had revealed to him, he had no idea how to deal with it. "You're not so contradictory that you would so far as to-"

He ceased his outburst though, when he heard the sound of his friend's unsteady breath, and realized that hidden behind that slender, long-fingered hand, Kurama was crying.


	4. Empathy

My apologies for the delay. I'll try not to let it happen again. The assessment of Kurama's mentality is pretty much stagnant in this chapter, but hopefully you will appreciate its progression in other areas

Black Roses  
Chapter IV  
Empathy  
September 11, 2006

It was not the last time Hiei would see Kurama cry. Though he wanted to remain, given his friend's alarming behavior, Kurama assured him that he would be fine, that Hiei need not feel obligated to stand watch overnight. Reluctantly, he left--But not before making the Fox swear to not do anything potentially harmful to himself; even in an ordinary Ningen house there were so many things one could do so with, and on top of that Kurama was incredibly resourceful….

Hiei intended to return and look in on his friend within a day or two, but instead found himself immersed in work. A day turned into a week, and then two … Finally, weary from many sleepless nights disturbed by the continuous image of Kurama's sad smile, his tears--the desperate confession he had made--Hiei went to his boss and requested leave, professing that he needed to attend to some personal matters.

Mukuro raised an eyebrow at her heir's formality; it was such a stark contrast to his usual direct manner. "And should I suddenly need you, where can you be found tending these personal matters?" He mumbled something inaudible in reply, but she distinctly heard "Ningenkai." "Again? Your interest in that world has peaked recently, I've noticed. Is your sister okay?"

"She's fine."

"Then it's someone else--Don't tell me you're keeping a woman on that side?"

He bristled. "I'd sooner return to running errands for Koenma than pollute my body with that of a stinking human!" he snarled, infuriated at the smirk growing on Mukuro's face.

"So you're going to see a demon, then." She looked thoughtful. "It isn't your sister, and the majority of the demons living in the Human World are weak little things you'd never affiliate with … _Ah_, I know now. Yoko Kurama--I'm sorry, it's just Kurama now, isn't it?"

"I don't know," he murmured. He coughed. "Yes, him."

"And you want my permission to go see him." Hiei nodded. Mukuro shrugged. "You know you don't need my approval to go anywhere or see anyone." She smiled. "But then, you're too courteous to leave without checking in with me, aren't you?"

The Jaganshi winced at this description of himself. "I'll thank you not to make that common knowledge, please."

"You'll _thank _me? _Please_?" Mukuro laughed at him. "Rest easy; I wouldn't dream of doing anything that might tarnish your ruthless image."

'Her sense of humor has grown twisted as of late, too,' he thought, turning to leave.

"I hope Kurama's okay," she added.

He clenched his jaw. "I do, too."

------------

Hiei's eyes welled up again, except this time it was due to the bitter stench of the bus. Though he'd have liked nothing more than to back away from the repugnant vehicle, he tightened his grip on the bouquet and boarded anyway. Listless

Listless Ningen eyes gawked at him, oddly reminding Hiei of a herd of sheep--a fitting resemblance, he decided. Quickly he found a place in the back where it was deserted save for an amorous young couple, laughing and kissing and completely oblivious to the surrounding squalor: the love-struck epitome--or perhaps two animals in heat.

He glowered, mildly disgusted by such a mushy display, though he could not suppress a slight twinge of jealousy.

------------

It was dusk, and though Hiei noticed bright squares of yellow coming from the other houses, Kurama's was dark. No one answered, but discovering that the door was unlocked, he went inside. "Kurama?" he called. No answer. He surveyed the room, starting when he realized someone was lying face down on the couch. "Kurama?" he said again.

'"… I fear I may be in danger of becoming a hypocrite….'"

"_Kurama!_"

"… Why are you shouting, Hiei?" the Fox muttered, not moving from his prone position. "How did you get in, anyhow?"

Something in how he spoke, in his breathing … "Your door was unlocked," Hiei answered. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

Hiei brushed off the sullen sarcasm. "Why are you crying?" Silence. "I know you are. I can tell from the sound of your voice."

"I don't know why," Kurama replied. "I don't feel good."

Though the room was primarily shadow, Hiei could see Kurama perfectly from where he stood. His face, which Hiei suspected was stained from tears, lay in a cradle fashioned from his arms; the majority of his hair draped over the edge of the couch. 'Like a waterfall,' the Jaganshi thought, looking at it. A waterfall made up of blood. 'And would that bloody waterfall become a reality, if his fear were fulfilled?' Hiei stared at Kurama's shoulders.

After a few minutes Kurama rolled onto his side, face blotchy, eyes red and swollen from crying. "Better?" Hiei asked awkwardly. Kurama closed his eyes and shrugged, his breathing still uneven.

Tragic beauty, Hiei thought. Having known Kurama for some time, and looking at him now … was like watching a flower once so vibrant wilt, shut up from the sun.

Hiei took a washcloth from the bathroom closet, his mouth fixed into a troubled frown as he turned to faucet on. 'I don't want to watch you fade away … How can I chase off the shadows that snuffed out your light?'

Kurama's eyes were still closed when Hiei returned, but they shot open when he knelt over and began bathing the Fox's face. "W-What are you doing?" the Fox demanded, shifting onto his back, giving Hiei a bewildered look.

"I'm cleaning you up."

"Stop it," Kurama said hastily, his voice almost resentful.

"What?" The change in tone puzzled Hiei.

"_Stop_," he pleaded.

"Hang on--." Hiei noticed the blush spreading over Kurama's face, and widened his eyes as he felt … He jumped up. "I'm sorry," he stammered.

Kurama scrambled away from Hiei, almost falling off the couch in the process. He curled up, trying to conceal his arousal, his face red with shame. "I told you to stop," he said pitifully.

"I'm sorry," Hiei repeated. "Kurama," he reached forward, trying to get the Kitsune to look at him, "I didn't mean to--"

His lips accidentally brushed Kurama's; the Fox pulled away--actually falling off this time. He crawled backward until he was against the wall, his eyes averted from Hiei's the entire time. Face still red, Hiei muttered to the floor, "I don't expect anything of you, Hiei."

"I know that," Hiei replied, climbing over the couch, kneeling in front of his friend. Kurama eyed him warily. "Don't look at me that way. I want to help you."

Though he spoke with the best of intentions, the shame in Kurama's face intensified. "This burden doesn't involve you. I can help myself."

"No." Hiei's hand found Kurama's shoulder; he squeezed it, as though making sure that the redhead would not get away. "Fighting an antagonist that persists gnawing away at you is tiring enough," he said. "But even if the entire world is against you, you should still be able to withdraw and find solace within yourself--And you don't have even that small comfort, Kurama. When the problem lies within, there's no escape. Everywhere you go, it's there, capable of emerging, of assaulting you, at any time.

"I know how you feel," he concluded. "I too have done battle with myself …" His free arm found Kurama's waist.

The Fox tensed. "Hiei--"

"I'm not finished." The hand on Kurama's shoulder tightened its grip. "You've caused me a lot of discomfort in the past," he said reproachfully. "Your annoying tendency to become entangled in dangerous webs, so more often than anyone else I know to teeter on the line between life and death while engaged in your conflicts … You owe my stomach and my throat apologies, for causing them to tighten up on so many occasions. Especially now, since the sensation has grown almost chronic recently."

He released Kurama's shoulder; the latter was unable to break away anyhow, pinned now by Hiei's legs. Hiei cupped the Kitsune's face and tilted it upward so that green eyes were forced to meet his. "I am fond of you, Kurama. Perhaps I don't know to what extent, like you do, but to me this has grown far more complex than mere friendship…."

Kurama struggled, but given his current position this was an overall futile effort. Hiei held him even more firmly still, pulling him forward, the space between them rapidly decreasing as they grew closer …


	5. Intimacy

Okay, so I made you guys wait two months … Sorry about that—but, this chapter is ten pages long, so I hope that you find it worth the wait.

The next chapter shall be called "Homecoming," for reasons one can probably discern from the latter part of this chapter, and I hope to have it up for your reading pleasure in less than a month's time, if that's something to look forward to.

* * *

Black Roses  
Chapter V  
Intimacy  
November 11, 2006 

Hiei tilted Kurama's chin upward, and nibbled on the milky throat exposed beneath. "You're trembling," he noted, moving to undo the Fox's shirt.

"Your teeth are on my throat; it's only instinct."

The Koorime lifted his head up, brows furrowed. "Do you want me to stop?"

"If I didn't trust you," Kurama replied softly, "I wouldn't let you do it." He moved to aid the frustrated hands fumbling with his buttons.

With the latter's help, Hiei swiftly opened the shirt, exposing a pale torso that almost glowed in the moonlight filtering through the blinds. Kurama's nipples looked violet in the dark. Hiei lowered his head and curled his tongue around one thoughtfully, feeling it harden in his mouth.

Kurama sighed a little, and pressed against Hiei. A faint blush had emerged in the Kitsune's face and neck, and as his shirt slid off one shoulder, Hiei could see that it had spread there, too. Kurama's body began to heat up, Hiei's quickly following suit. The Koorime ceased his suckling, and led his tongue in a trail up the other's chest, caressing Kurama's throat, lapping at the base of his ear—earning a pleasant gasp from the redhead, who closed his eyes while Hiei continued bathing him. "I never thought about your agility extending to your _tuhh …_" An actual moan escaped him as Hiei grew even bolder, and straddled his leg while continuing the tongue-play. Hiei's crotch rubbed against Kurama's thigh, and both chests began to heave as the pressure in their pelvic regions increased.

A slender hand cupped the contents swelling in Hiei's pants, and he squeezed his eyes shut while Kurama massaged him. "Kurama," he whined, "tell me your pants don't have buttons."

He felt the Fox squirm beneath him, and realized when a bare leg brushed against his arm that Kurama had managed to wriggle our of his pants, which made a crumpling sound as they were kicked away and hit the wall, before meeting the floor. "Your belts …" a drowsy voice murmured in his ear. Hiei reached for said impediments, his hand skirting Kurama's hips in the process—and a shudder, not unpleasant, passed through him when he discovered that his friend was completely nude from the waist down.

The belts hit the floor with a series of clangs and thuds; the pants made a _woosh _noise as they joined the other garments. Hiei pinned Kurama to the mattress, his breath coming out in harsh pants. "How should we…?"

Kurama hugged himself to Hiei, crushing his pelvis against that of the former. "I want to make love to you," he whispered. "I want you to make love to me…."

As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Hiei's waist, and rocked his hips back and forth so that the friction between their penises would increase. Hiei quickly imitated his movements, feeling a heat spark and flourish inside of him akin to the personal fire Kurama radiated.

"I love you," Kurama gasped, crushing his mouth over Hiei's.

The Koorime growled throatily as he felt dig into his back. He clenched his teeth, a knot forming in his stomach, sweat dripping from his pores.

He felt Kurama's legs tense against his hips—and thought he might die when he felt the Fox's hand close around his balls. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress—.

"_Hiei!"_ Kurama shrieked, digging his fingernails into Hiei's flesh so deeply that he drew blood, squeezing his other hand harder …

Pushing Hiei over the edge. _"KURAMA!!!" _he screamed, the knot in his stomach loosening as he felt the heat of his and Kurama's seed spattering and mingling on his abdomen. He collapsed on top of the redhead, gasping for breath.

Kurama's body felt like an inferno beneath him. How could the Fox compare himself to a black rose, something that looked so morbid and dead? Being with him right now, feeling the warmth of his breath and his skin, made such a contradiction of the sinister request Kurama had asked of him.

'You're not something cold and austere,' Hiei thought. 'You're warm and vibrant. The grave does not become you.'

An image assaulted him of pristine white funeral flowers and black mourners' wear; of moist, dark soil covering up strands of bright red—the fire of life being smothered, extinguished—.

"What's wrong?" Kurama gave him a concerned look, lips parted in a heavy pant.

He shook his head, and kissed the Fox's brow. "You smell like flowers," he remarked, rolling off Kurama, lying down beside him.

"And you smell like something spicy."

A snort escaped the Jaganshi. "Are you calling me hot?"

Kurama laughed a little. "Examine the current situation, Hiei, and you tell me." He closed his eyes. "That's interesting that you think that, though. A classmate once told me that I smelled like I worked in a flower shop."

"A _what_?" Surely Hiei had heard wrong.

"A store that sells flowers in bouquets and arrangements."

No, he unfortunately had not. "Only the humans," he said, rolling his eyes, "would be stupid enough to make a market out of flowers. Flowers grow everywhere."

"True," Kurama murmured, "but sometimes it's difficult locating the ones you want." He heaved a sigh, and Hiei understood why he had them move upstairs to the bedroom. He was absolutely exhausted. "You'll be here in the morning, won't you?"

Hiei gave him a weird look. "Of course. Do you really think I'd leave in _this_?" he tried to joke, referring to his nudity.

"Hm," the Fox murmured, his entire manner weighted with weariness.

"I wouldn't just leave you in the middle of the night," Hiei continued. As though to emphasize his assurance, he hugged Kurama from behind and rested his head against the redhead's back. "You have self-esteem issues," he muttered into the former's shoulder.

"… No, Hiei," Kurama countered quietly. "I would have to have a self, first."

* * *

A man's voice woke Hiei. He cracked one eyelid and scanned the bedroom groggily. Kurama was still sleeping in his arms, and the voice was too deep to be his anyhow. Hiei couldn't discern any words—the man must be downstairs. He carefully let go of Kurama, so as not to wake him, and reached for his katana. 

He froze when he heard another voice, this one female. Hiei recognized that voice. "Kurama …" he muttered.

The Fox stirred, pulling the covers closer around him. "What—?"

Suddenly he sat up, hearing the voices too. His eyes became perfect circles. "Your mother," Hiei said for him.

Kurama nodded shakily. "And Kazuya," he added, scrambling out of bed, pulling clothes from the dresser.

"Did you know they were—?"

"No," the Kitsune said frantically. He brushed past Hiei and quickly shut the door behind him. A perfect way to start the day, Hiei though sympathetically: Greeting one's parents with the sleep still in one's eyes and bed hair, and trying to conceal the fact there was a naked man with a sword in one's room.

"Shuichi," the woman said, bewilderment in her tone, "we called, but no one answered … Where you still in bed?"

"It's okay, Mother," Kurama assured her. "I overslept a little is all."

'A little?' the Jaganshi thought sardonically, now noticing the time on the clock. It would be afternoon by the time Hiei had the opportunity to leave.

"What is that on your neck?" Shiori asked.

"W-What are you talking about?" Kurama stammered.

"There's a mark … is that a _bite_?"

Hiei widened his eyes. Had he bit Kurama hard enough to leave a hickie?

"I … um …"

"I'm sorry if we came at an inconvenient time, Shuichi," Kazuya said hastily. "But you haven't called in a few days—"

"I just remembered," Kurama interrupted. "I have something I need to show you." Hiei heard the Fox's feet fall hastily into the room across the hall, shortly followed by those of the man, muffled, as though dragging across the floor. The image of Kurama pulling his step-father into the den made Hiei smile a little—.

The door began to open, and Hiei barely managed to drape a sheet over his lap as he found himself in a staring contest with Shiori Hatanaka. If she'd been Yusuke or Kuwabara or even an anonymous human, Hiei would have known how to react: a death glare, a drawn sword, a sharp word—but Kurama's human mother had him fused to the bed with her shocked eyes. He coughed, his throat dry, and she immediately blushed and muttered a rushed, half-audible apology, before backing out of the room and closing the door. "Shuichi," he heard a call, with a note of apprehension in her tone, "I brought some food for the kitchen, okay?"

A heat rose in Hiei's face, much in the same way as the night before, though less pleasant. He quickly found his clothes, wondering if he should leave before any questions were asked. No, the woman had already seen; and if he left now, it might make Kurama look promiscuous. The Fox had enough on his plate without Hiei causing more to be dished on.

He heard more footsteps (Kurama and the man, he assumed) descend the stairs; Hiei waited a few minutes, and then crept downstairs.

"Your refrigerator's empty, Shuichi!" he heard Shiori admonish Kurama.

"That's not true," the Fox replied.

"A bottle of vinegar and half a cantaloupe do not count."

Hiei peered around the corner, seeing that Shiori was now pawing through the cupboards. 'Intrusive human,' he thought.

'It's no different from your anonymous look-ins on Yukina.'

He blinked, and sent an argumentative glare Kurama's way. The redhead raised an eyebrow, and his lips pulled into a small, uncomfortable smile. Hiei soon realized why: in addition to his parents, Kurama's younger brother was also present, and while Shiori had her back to Hiei, the Koorime found himself the object of the other two's stares. "I … don't know if we've met before," Kazuya said. "I am Kazuya, Shuichi's step-father. And you are…?"

"Hiei," Kurama quickly volunteered. "This is my friend, Hiei. Hiei," the Fox threw him a nervous look, "I've told you about my family, haven't I?"

He looked from Kurama, to Kazuya and the human Shuichi, back to Kurama, and nodded.

"You cannot live off of soup alone," Shiori declared. "And you _still _haven't unpacked all of your things!"

She was right, Hiei observed. The number of boxes had decreased significantly, but anyone else would have completely settled in by now.

"Actually, Hiei and I are going grocery shopping today," Kurama replied hastily, and toni—um, later today—he's going to help me finish putting everything away."

Shiori cast Hiei an anxious eye, having avoided looking directly at him until then. "All right," she said uncertainly. "Hiei."

"Hn?"

"Make sure he takes in more than soup today."

* * *

"Here." Hiei handed Kurama an apple. "Now where are we going?" 

"… What?" Kurama asked faintly, staring at the fruit.

"You really weren't planning to run those errands today." A sheepish look confirmed his suspicions. "Let's go," he said, making for the store's exit.

"Wait," the Fox said. "I still need to pay."

"It's on me." He noticed Kurama's confusion as the latter caught up to him. "It only makes sense to carry some Ningen currency," he explained, "since I am on the boundary so much."

"That does make sense," Kurama murmured.

They walked into a park, with its many bare, sleeping trees. Dead leaves, made soggy by snow, squished beneath their feet. Winter's white blanket had grayed here.

Thoughtfully, Hiei watched while Kurama ate the apple. He had chosen it because he liked the clean, fresh look of its bright green peel. "Have you really been living off of soup?" He received a so-so gesture of the hand. "That's not healthy."

"It's quick and easy to swallow," Kurama countered, "and the least of my problems right now."

"Your family is worried about you. They suspect something is terribly wrong."

"And what makes you so sure of that?" his friend asked, stopping to rest on a bench.

"… Jaganshi intuition."

"Do not invade the privacy of my family's minds!" exclaimed the Kitsune.

"They're right, though," Hiei said. "Even someone lacking supernatural abilities can see that something is troubling you." He watched as a look of despair came over Kurama, who reluctantly nodded. "Have you thought of … telling them?"

Kurama laughed dryly. "Tell them what? That while I live with them, look like them, and love them, I am at the same time not one of them? No, Hiei, I doubt that shall ever happen." He smiled a sad smile, and said, "I sometimes wish that it was your secret that haunted me instead."

Hiei quirked a skeptical eyebrow, but understood. Though it would be hard for him, if the moment ever arrived, at least Yukina and he came from the same species and the same world …

"It's cruel," Kurama said bitterly, staring at the withered grass in the sidewalk cracks. "Many times before, I thought I held a clear perception of what I was. I thought that at last I had reconciled myself—But I suppose that even I am not exempt from the deceiving game I play!"

He sighed, wanting to offer a kind word to the Fox—.

The world suddenly became very blurry and wet for Hiei; he squeezed his eyes shut and wiped away the remnants of a slush-ball, growling when he heard familiar, moronic laughter.

"They do find you irresistible, don't they?" Kurama observed, with a laugh that sounded more like a sob. Hiei narrowed his eyes at the nearest idiot approaching him.

"Aw, where's your garbage can, grouch?" Yusuke asked, meeting Hiei's glower with a stupid grin. However, the prankster's expression became less light-hearted when he noticed Kurama. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Um, yeah." Kurama wiped his eyes and gave Yusuke a small smile. "I'm just not feeling so well."

"Are you going to throw up?"

Kurama shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Well, we're going out to eat—Do you guys want to come with?"

"We," in addition to Yusuke, consisted of Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, and Shizuru. Hiei looked at Kurama and shrugged, leaving it up to the Fox. "Let me repay you for the apple," Kurama said.

"Hey, _strangers_," Kuwabara bellowed, stressing the plural manner of his greeting and throwing Kurama a mock-glare. "What have you guys been up to?"

The redhead caught Hiei's eye, and for a moment something resembling a smile flickered across his face. "We've been busy," he replied innocently. Hiei smirked, and offered Kurama his hand.

One scent in particular grabbed Hiei's attention as the group entered the restaurant. "What is that?" he asked, gravitating toward the source of the smell.

Kurama smiled. "You mean the coffee?" he asked, leaning over and holding the Jaganshi's hand.

"It smells like chocolate."

"That would be mocha," Shizuru said.

Hiei rolled his eyes as Kurama promptly backed away from him. "Um …"

"You're blushing," she remarked slyly.

"Who's blushing?" Kuwabara asked.

"Nobody," his sister replied, throwing Kurama a playful look.

He returned it, weakly. "Um, would you like some mocha?" he asked Hiei.

Soon Hiei was sipping a raspberry-mocha cappuccino, and trying not to be sick at the sight of Kuwabara shamelessly gushing over Yukina. "I think I'm getting diabetes," he grumbled.

"Kuwabara's just … courtly," Kurama said.

"_Sappy_, you mean," Shizuru told him, pulling a face. "You're going to put her in shock from all the sugar, Little Brother."

"At least I don't scare her away because I'm a grouch!" Kuwabara shot back. "Maybe you and the Shrimp should go out."

"_No_," Hiei said, glaring at him.

"Oh, so you think something's _wrong _with my sister, huh? She not good enough for you or something?"

Hiei glanced at Kurama, who was trying not to smile. "There's nothing wrong with her," he replied. "She's just not my type."

"Besides, Kuwabara," Keiko said, "would you really want Hiei as your brother-in-law?"

"_Eeewww, no!"_ the carrot-top exclaimed. "There's _no _way him and I are _ever _going to be related!"

The Koorime glared. "Likewise," he grumbled, while Yusuke began to snicker.

"I don't think having Hiei as a brother would be so bad, Kazuma," Yukina said.

"What is so funny, Yusuke?" Keiko demanded.

"N-Nothing," he answered, struggling for breath. He coughed. "Um, Hiei. I heard an interesting rumor while I was checking up on dear old Dad's estate in the Makai. Yomi—"

"Yomi?" Kurama said.

"Yeah. I went to see him, and—"

"Yomi's returned to his province?"

"Oh … You didn't know?" Kurama gave him a curious look. "Yeah, he's back in charge of that territory again. And according to him," Yusuke smirked, "there's talk that Mukuro's lead warrior keeps slipping off to the Human World, but no one knows why." He grinned at Hiei. "You keeping a girlfriend somewhere?"

Kuwabara burst out laughing. "In the _Human _World? I don't see Shorty dating a human, do you?"

"I do _not _have a girlfriend," Hiei growled. "_Anywhere._"

"Whatever." Kuwabara shrugged. "So long as you stay away from my Yukina."

"_Your _Yukina?!"

* * *

"… We never did unpack those boxes," Kurama murmured. 

Hiei stirred and opened his eyes. Kurama was sitting on the foot of the bed. The green glow of his alarm clock cast sick-looking shadows on his body. "But we did puck up groceries," the Jaganshi pointed out.

Kurama nodded thoughtfully. "Yomi's back," he said.

"I recall hearing something about it from Mukuro." He shivered a little; Kurama's restlessness had disrupted the bedding, leaving Hiei's naked body vulnerable to the draft coming in from the window.

"You're cold," the Fox observed.

"You left the window open," Hiei muttered as Kurama replaced the blankets over him.

"I prefer to risk a chill than breathe musty air, but I can shut it if it bothers you."

He shook his head, content now that he was covered again. "You should lie back down," he said. "It's almost midnight."

Kurama heeded the suggestion. "I wonder if all of his officers came back," he yawned, curling up against the Koorime.

"Maybe he has an opening," Hiei replied, suspecting he knew what Kurama was thinking.

"Maybe," Kurama repeated.

* * *

The wind was brutal today. Hiei shuddered. "What did you tell the humans?" 

"I'm visiting a friend." Kurama smiled wryly. "It is technically true."

"You're going to freeze," he muttered.

Kurama pulled up the collar of his jacket. "I'll be fine," he told the Koorime, shifting his backpack. "Hiei, do you remember that thing I asked you to do?"

He tensed. "I'm not going to look for black roses in the middle of winter," he said uneasily.

"I meant the other thing—Could you look in on my family for me, while I'm gone?"

Hiei shrugged. "Why not?"

Kurama hugged him and kissed his forehead. "Thank you. Perhaps … I'll see you soon?"

"Perhaps," Hiei replied, kissing the Fox lightly on the lips. He watched while Kurama ventured into the forest—and soon, Hiei knew, into the Demon World. Would it help, he wondered.

"What is he up to?" a voice behind him inquired.

Hiei turned around. It was Genkai. She had probably seen the departure from the temple. "Excuse me?"

"Two weeks ago, he approached me about lessons in transforming. He never told me why."

During the Dark Tournament, Hiei recalled, Genkai had reverted to her younger form. Kurama approaching the psychic after planning to stay in the Makai made perfect sense. "Did you teach him?"

"He's a fast learner," Genkai affirmed. Studying Hiei, she said, "If you go to see him at all, keep an eye on him."

Hiei nodded absently, his body shivering. Though it was winter, and he had put up with the snow and wind since stepping outside, only now was he beginning to feel cold.


	6. Homecoming

_There shall be two more chapters after this one, "Flight" and "Ai," and then the story is complete. This may be the swiftest story I have wrote—of course, it is also the shortest. I'm already at work revising "Flight," and have gone over a draft for "Ai," so I may have the both of them up by Christmas, or around that time at least. Until then, I hope this chapter is enjoyed; it possesses one feature that none of the other chapters have: a flashback inside of a flashback. But, I don't believe it is hard to follow or anything._

Black Roses  
Chapter VI  
Homecoming  
December 9, 2006

"Your heartbeat," Yoko Kurama murmured, resting his head against his companion's chest. "It's grown faster."

"It does that," replied Yomi, a smirk on his lips, "when it's pumping blood to a specific area."

"Oh?" Amber eyes adopted a sly look that matched the Kitsune's smile. "What area, specifically?"

Yomi's teeth flashed as he uttered a throaty laugh. "Your coy act never grows old," he declared as he ran a hand down Kurama's back. It squeezed a naked rump, caressed a sleek, silver tail …

Hiei had to close the Jagan after Yomi's fingers disappeared from view and Kurama let out a sharp cry. His stomach knotted, but he wasn't shocked in the least—not after the sight that had greeted him when he'd first come to visit Kurama.

* * *

The Koorime had just arrived and, given directions by one of Yomi's underlings, had been wandering in the vicinity of Kurama's quarters when he turned a corner and found his friend, in demonic guise, in the company of the Keep's Lord. The pair was gravitating toward a door he assumed led into Kurama's bedroom. Kurama was swaying on his feet and leaning against Yomi, who supported him with one arm. The pair was gravitating to a door Hiei assumed led into the Fox's bedroom. He thought that Kurama might be drunk, and that Yomi was helping him to bed—.

That is, until he noticed that the arm not holding onto Kurama was moving back and forth, and realized that it disappeared into the silver-haired demon's pants … Hiei froze as Kurama gasped and shuddered violently, squeezing his eyes shut, digging his fingers into the sleeves of Yomi's kimono. The latter chuckled as he withdrew his now-glistening hand, and raised it to the Kitsune's face. Kurama, staring at Yomi through drowsy, half-lidded eyes, flicked out his tongue and licked it clean, and then began to suckle a finger.

The sight made Hiei feel a little weak, and he quickly gave the two back their privacy. He retreated to his rooms and meditated a while on what he had seen. Did Kurama actually care for Yomi, Hiei wondered, or was he experimenting, just as he experimented with holding his true form for extended periods of time? And if there was affection, was it mutual, or was Kurama simply the warlord's sexual outlet?

He scowled, wondering why he contemplated on the matter so heavily. What concern was it of his, anyhow? So long as Yomi didn't hurt Kurama, why should he care?

Kurama was redheaded and alone when Hiei sought him out again, and smiled warmly when he saw the Jaganshi. "I'm glad you came," he said, hugging Hiei tightly.

There was still a faint trace of Yomi's scent on the Fox. Hiei did his best to ignore it. "How have you been?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Kurama's sides. At least it felt like he'd been eating well, Hiei noted thankfully.

"Not so bad," Kurama replied, kissing Hiei's forehead. "I'm afraid I haven't been any true asset to Yomi aside from—aside from companionship, so far."

He thought he saw a faint flush play across Kurama's face. His lips twitched a little, but he suppressed it. "If your companionship… pleases him, then that's an asset enough."

The redhead suddenly looked uncomfortable. "… How rude of me," he stammered. "Would you like anything to—?"

Hiei snickered. "This is not your house," he reminded Kurama. "You are not obliged to play host to me."

"Still," Kurama protested, "these are my lodgings. I could have someone—"

He silenced his friend with a swat on the rear. "I didn't come here for you to wait on me," he growled, running his tongue up Kurama's neck. The Fox moaned quietly, his nipples hardening through his shirt and tickling Hiei. The Koorime stretched upward and bit Kurama lightly on the bottom lip. They overbalanced, and fell onto the bed.

Suddenly Kurama pulled away. "Hiei," he said, sitting up. "We could … go break in your boudoir properly." His casual tone sounded forced, and his body was slightly tense. Hiei understood why: the moment he had hit the mattress, Yomi flooded his nostrils. It disgusted him, not because the blind demon smelled bad, but because the scent was mixed with Kurama's, and sweat. He recalled the scene in the hallway, and did not want to imagine what had gone on here.

* * *

A loud shriek pierced the night and resonated down the hall to Hiei's door. Its suddenness startled the Jaganshi; all three eyes shot wide open, and an image assaulted him of his friend and the other … lover.

Yomi had pinned Kurama to the bed and impaled him with a voracious force. The Fox squirmed beneath him, thrashing his legs, crying out as though the other demon was killing him. "Harder … harder …" he yowled, while Yomi's aggression increased. "Harder … ha—Ah-Ah-Ah-_Ah!_" His ears pressed flat against his head while his face contorted, blushing bright red. "Y-Y-Yomi!" he screamed through clenched teeth.

"Watch it!" the warlord snarled when Kurama fisted one hand in his hair, yanking on it.

"Didn't … mean to pull," the Yoko panted apologetically, hissing as Yomi gave one last, deep shove before withdrawing and lying down beside him.

The blind demon heaved a few satiated sighs, and then rose. "I smelt blood," he said.

"Only a little," Kurama replied, the rise and fall of his chest beginning to slow.

Yomi readjusted his clothes, and pulled an ornate pipe out of his pocket. "I should have a servant bring something to you," he thought aloud. "You didn't eat much at dinner."

Hiei remembered. Kurama's appetite had been lacking, but Yomi coaxed him to eat a little of a course specially prepared for him: the meat of a hare, roasted and seasoned lightly with garlic. An aphrodisiac traced with another aphrodisiac, fed to a creature known for its potency. In a moment of acrimonious humor, Hiei told himself that at least it wasn't soup, but thinking about it struck a nerve somewhere inside of him regardless.

"I'm fine," Kurama replied. Yomi shrugged, and left him sprawled on the bed.

Hiei shut his eyes, and this time replaced the ward over the Jagan. He felt a little guilty, spying on Kurama like this.

He thought of how appropriately Kurama had termed his bedroom: boudoir—to brood. He didn't know how long Kurama and Yomi had been intimate, who had propositioned who, or any details like that. He hadn't asked, opting to conceal his knowledge of the relationship. It was none of his business anyhow—there had been no declaration between Kurama and himself of a commitment, no claim made, Kurama was free to see whoever he liked …

For some reason, Hiei didn't feel well, and decided he needed some fresh air. He stepped outside and found the evening mild; winter was already drawing its close here. The earth smelt clean as he breathed deeply and sighed.

"I hope we didn't disturb you, Hiei."

The Koorime started, and glanced to his right. Yomi strode up to him, smoking the now-lit pipe. Until this evening, he hadn't known the warlord smoked. "I was already awake," he replied.

"I didn't ask if we _woke _you," Yomi said provocatively. "I could hear your heart rate increase while Kurama and I …" He trailed off, smirking. "It's increasing right now, too. Just like it did when you saw us in the hall." Hiei bristled, which made Yomi laugh. "I'll admit, it was a risky stunt. Instead of you seeing, it could have been Shura…." He looked at Hiei—or rather, angled his face toward the Koorime just so—thoughtfully. "But your agitation is understandable," he observed. "You care about him, don't you?"

Yomi's ears, Hiei thought grudgingly. They were as intrusive as his Jagan eye. He swallowed. "A great deal," he affirmed. Even if Kurama was going to bed with Yomi day and night, with him just down the hall….

"Something ails him," the blind demon stated. "Even in his purer form, something's askew. It's a greater change than his metamorphoses after taking human form—Even then, he was never this acquiescent." He paused, before concluding, "His spirit is sick. He's blanched."

Hiei nodded. "I know. He … we thought that returning to the Makai might help him."

The warlord took a long draught on his pipe; smoke drifted out of his mouth as he spoke. "It is the tragedy of the past," he declared. "You cannot return to it, but you can never escape it, either. It's always with you, but always out of your reach."

Well said, Hiei thought, even if it was an ominous remark. He bade Yomi goodnight, and walked slowly to Kurama's bedroom.

The Yoko still lay sprawled on the bed, but sprang up when Hiei appeared. "I thought you were sleeping," Kurama asked.

"I've been up," he replied, playing dumb to the dishevelment of both Kurama and the bed. "I thought we might go to sleep together, if you want."

Kurama looked at him, and it pained Hiei to hold his friend's gaze. He had always thought Kurama was meant to reside in his "pure form," that while his human body wasn't necessarily a seal to the demon living inside, it was nonetheless an impediment, a shell, a disguise. It would be a lie if Hiei thought that he had never felt disappointment over Kurama's choice to, after regaining his lost form, live as a human after all.

But looking at him now, in the form infamous throughout the Makai, the silver Fox, the acclaimed thief, Hiei was dismayed to realize that this too had a become a shell. It was still wondrous, but the magnificence had been displaced. To Hiei, the silver hair, which he'd once likened to moonlight caught in silk, now reminded him of something ancient and weary. The amber eyes, once so delectably cruel and invoking fear and reverence, were now reminiscent of once-verdant fields that had lost their verve and withered.

Blanched, Yomi had said. Looking at his friend, that very same word came to Hiei's mind. The ethereal awe had faded; Yoko Kurama simply looked worn out.

"I would like that, Hiei," the Kitsune replied. "I'll join you in a little while."

Soon afterwards, Kurama—human again, and smelling like water and earthy soap—crept silently into Hiei's room and approached his bed. Without a word, Hiei pulled back the covers, and Kurama quickly accepted the silent invitation. He rested his head on the Koorime's shoulder, and was unconscious within minutes.

A pang of intense sympathy for Kurama stabbed Hiei, because Yomi was absolutely right: Not even the King of Thieves could steal back his past, and his efforts to recreate—or to cleanse—it in the present would ultimately fail.

'We are not slates,' Hiei thought, Kurama's breath warm on his neck, 'something manufactured, capable of being wiped clean when it is convenient. We are as natural as stones, weathered by the smallest droplets of rain.'


	7. Flight

Well … obviously, the hope of achieving at least one more chapter before Christmas was unrealistic. I found myself working up until the very last minute getting everything done and in. But, at least I got everything done and in, eh?

So then, this is the second-to-last chapter, "Flight." It's funny, that I intended to post this in between updates of "Was It Out of Pity?" and "Jagamino," but this is near completion and I don't believe I've touched the latter of those two in some time … I'll need to remedy that. Eh, but until then:

Black Roses  
Chapter VII  
Flight  
January 2, 2007

Hiei stepped off the bus. He could walk the rest of the way.

He reared back as two small children, a boy and a girl, darted past him, completely oblivious to the dozens of the adult feet trying to dodge them. Hiei turned, his eyes following them. They were chasing after a small origami animal, bright white against the gray day. The wind must have snatched it away from them.

The paper figure blew over an air vent and immediately shot upwards, far beyond the children's reach. They stood on the sidewalk, staring helplessly at the little treasure as it flew away.

* * *

Kurama's eyes looked so hollow when Hiei left. The Koorime took one look at him and wavered, wondering if he should postpone his return to Alaric. However, he didn't want it to appear that he was hovering. That, and the affair that he pretended to know nothing of—Kurama frequently disappearing and then reappearing with Yomi, Hiei catching the warlord's scent every time he came to Kurama's room, Kurama's insistence every time of bathing before coming to him—had begun to sour him. He could feel it, manifesting deep inside of him, and though he told himself it had no right to take root, it spread. He didn't want his jealous affliction to shake his support for Kurama.

The Fox gave him a painfully fake smile and a shaky hug, and wished him a safe journey home.

A few days later, Mukuro entered Hiei's suite bearing a package. "One of Yomi's messengers brought it," she said. "Though it appears that they didn't take extreme care with it; these are already wilted."

"What—?"

Something fell onto the table, right by Hiei's propped foot. He stared at the item: a rose petal. It was red, but not the bright, near-magenta color that Kurama favored. No, this shade was considerably darker, and as Mukuro noted, it had long-since lost its freshness. The edges had dried and shriveled up, the curled tip almost the same color as Hiei's boot.

* * *

A black blur zigzagged from branch to branch and roof to roof. His heart pounded; he was wrenched with the fear that there was a finish line he would not reach, a deadline he would not meet.

He slipped on an ice-slicked branch, lost his footing, and fell face-first into the snow and mud below. Cursing, he picked himself up and wiped the wet earth off his face. His hands were numb and trembling, his eyes hot and stinging. Now was not the time for his nerves to best him, he thought angrily. For every misstep, that he in this anxious state made, Kurama—.

"Hiei!"

The Koorime looked up—and quickly bent backwards to avoid being smacked in the head with an oar. "Hiei," Botan said, gesturing to the instrument, "get on."

"I'm not straddling that contraption!" he snarled. He had to reach Kurama, and loathed Botan right now for getting in the way.

"Hiei, you have to help me find Kurama!" the ferry-girl practically screamed. "He's in trouble—and Koenma doesn't want to stamp his papers!" He stared, taken aback. Botan gave him a pitiful look. "I need your eye, Hiei. I don't have the time to go to the wrong place."

* * *

"His house, right there!"

"Where?!"

"There!" Hiei pointed. He narrowed his eyes. The front of Kurama's house was choked in something … "Just follow me!" he growled, jumping off. He landed in the street and sprinted for the dwelling—and then stopped, and staggered backwards, captivated by the horrific sight that rose up before him.

The monstrosity snaked across the house's face like vines, branching out, division upon division. Hiei stared at it—a hideously beautiful hydra of roses the color of obsidian. They towered over him like a declaration of defeat. "_Forgive me_,"they seemed to plead.

Botan had already rushed past him. "Come on!" she yelled.

He looked. She had kicked the door in and gone inside. '… Didn't know she could do that,' he thought numbly.

"_Hiei, get in here!_"

He complied, even thought it took an effort to move his legs.

The living room was a mess, but then, it had always been. 'This was why you never unpacked … This was only a pit stop….' He slipped on something and almost fell, but grasped the arm of the couch. An ibuprofen container rolled out from under his foot. He gaped, revolted, at what appeared to be the contents of Kurama's medicine cabinet, scattered on the floor in front of the couch. All were open, all were empty.

Hiei sank onto his knees. A small, defeated cry resembling a sob escaped him. "It didn't have to be this way!" he hissed, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Had it been that bad, he wondered. Had Kurama's flesh become his prison, with his soul withering inside like a flower deprived of light? Had breaking out been his final means of salvation? _Had it been that bad?_

Botan was crying somewhere nearby. Hiei wiped his eyes and looked around, realizing that he … that he hadn't seen Kurama's body yet. He noticed that the carpet beneath him was rubbed the wrong way. It created a trail, leading to the bathroom. Botan was there, kneeling by the bath. The Koorime did a double take, and bristled when he saw that she wasn't alone: She held a limp, redheaded figure over the edge of the tub, frantically splashing his face with cold water, but he wasn't responding.

* * *

"Hey." Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "It's this way."

His guide was Kuwabara. 'Naturally,' he thought, but the typical animosity between them had been shocked into dissipation. He nodded his gratitude and followed the other down the hall.

"I know he was getting distant," Kuwabara declared softly, "but I thought … I don't know, that maybe he was adjusting to moving out or something—but he still never seemed _that _bad, you know?"

'No,' he thought morosely, 'he hadn't.' At least, not until he began to talk about death and those grisly black roses.

Kuwabara heaved a sigh, and then asked in a hoarse voice, "Did he ever say anything to you? I mean, did he really want to _die_?"

It took Hiei a moment before he could reply. "I think he didn't want to die, so much as he was afraid to live."

"… It's, um, it's in here," Kuwabara murmured, opening a door.

Immediately, Hiei and his flowers attracted stares. He ignored them. His attention concerned only one person right now.

Someone had combed Kurama's hair so that it shone like a red corona around his face and shoulders. He looked like he was sleeping. Hiei knew better.

He suddenly felt the urge to kiss Kurama, as he had the night he found the Fox crying in the dark. Not caring what anyone made of it, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against Kurama's. The stares intensified.

Hiei paid them no mind. 'I'm sorry, Kurama,' he thought, pulling away. He placed his roses on the table, and left.


	8. Ai

Finally, (though I still maintain the stance that this is one of my shorter stories both in length and time spent from beginning to end) here we are: the eighth and final chapter of "Black Roses." Since I'll trust that anyone who's given a care to read to the end of chapter seven is positively dying (and here I'm in danger of sounding arrogant) to read the conclusion, I'll say no more until the end.

* * *

Black Roses  
Chapter VIII  
Ai  
April 25, 2007

Winter's gray light trudged through Hiei's windows. Blankly, he stared out them at the monochromatic landscape outside, and then rolled over. No one could begrudge him his weariness, not when even the sun was tired.

That is, except for Mukuro. "You're going to make yourself sick," she told him disdainfully.

He gave her a lackadaisical look. Truth was, he did feel sick. He had fallen asleep for a half-hour or so earlier, only to jolt awake after a disturbing dream:

Hiei had been chasing after a white fox through a snowstorm. Though the distance between them never increased, the fox grew smaller and smaller, and then disappeared entirely. The snow stopped. Hiei caught up to the fox. It was now an origami figure, soggy to the touch. He picked it up, and it tore.

Suddenly the snow was gone. Hiei now knelt on a white tile floor, white walls surrounding him, a harsh white light glaring overheard … white, white, white—_Too much white!_

"You look blanched," Mukuro added.

He blinked. Blanched. Yomi had said that about—.

He rested his head against the window. He'd thought that going to see Kurama might help to alleviate the weight pressing down on his insides. Instead, it was as though that weight was the only substance left to him. Hiei had lost his focus, and taken to wandering the Keep languidly, like a phantom caught between worlds. His appetite was gone, and he'd begun to grow gaunt.

Mukuro would not tolerate Hiei's physical decline. "Have you forgotten yourself?" she demanded. Hiei stared at her. "I'm thrilled that you've discovered those emotions you have other than _spite_," she said sarcastically, "but you've allowed them to impede your logic. I can't have this, Hiei. Someone with your position has far more important matters to attend to than sulking like a child." Hiei's stare evolved into a glare. "I will not allow it," she said in a hard voice.

The Koorime shrugged, as though saying, "Fine" without meaning it. He decided that his right arm was more interesting than she was, and stared at it, taking in the cuts and scratches along the lower arm and wrist …

And growling as a sharp pain afflicted his head. Mukuro was not finished; she had picked him up with her right hand, and he dangled in her grasp like a toy in a claw machine. "Put me down if you don't want me to burn the other half of you to match!" he snarled rabidly. He imagined a mess of scorched flesh and molten metal, smoldering on the floor, where his boss stood.

To his outrage, she responded with a superior smirk. "The Dragon would devour you if you unleashed it now. You've grown weak." She dropped him, apparently indifferent toward his fuming expression. "You did what you could for Kurama," the warlord told him. "Don't become him in an effort to compensate." She left him, an imperial grace about her, as though absolutely careless towards the wretch on the floor, who currently wished murder on her. 'Spartan shell,' he thought, cursing her. Of all the times when that rare warmth could have sparked in her, and it hadn't. Sure, she was concerned for him, but he could have used some _compassion _…

His sardonic side laughed. Compassion? Hardly. Mukuro and he were pots and kettles. No, compassion was something to find from Yukina, or Kur—.

Hiei's stomach hurt. A hollow feeling gnawed inside him, not because his stomach was empty, though in fact it was. He couldn't deny that his face and wrists had grown thin. He didn't feel good.

What had she said? 'You did what you could?' How many times had Hiei heard that now? Repeatedly, from Mukuro, from his fellow patrolmen, from Yomi.

_Yomi_, Kurama's other lover. Oddly, Hiei held no animosity toward him. He had learned that shortly after his reception of Kurama's macabre bouquet, and his hasty departure to the Ningenkai, another Ganderran messenger had arrived with a warning from Yomi himself. The warlord wrote that Kurama had returned home, but he worried for the Fox's state of mind. Hiei could not be angry with him after his efforts to help.

The Jaganshi resumed staring out the window. The weather was fickle, which annoyed him. The snows would melt, and the mild temperatures tempted anticipation for the spring. Then everything froze again, and winter raged on. The climate alternated back and forth, and Hiei became half-convinced that spring would never come again.

Finally, though, the ice began to thaw, and did not refreeze. The sun grew warmer, and one morning Hiei woke not with gray but yellow light on his face. The migrant birds reclaimed their perches from the rime, and their songs filled Hiei's ears.

It seemed that his melancholia dissipated with the snows. Hiei awoke from his semi-hibernation, and took to congregating with Mukuro and his cohorts, conversing with them often. And fighting with them just as often.

But at night, Hiei crawled into bed and curled up, and missed Kurama.

* * *

One morning, Hiei was walking outside, and a soft, mildly spicy scent wafted past his nostrils. It was Mukuro's lilacs, which she had terraced along the sides of the Keep the year before, just coming into bloom. Hiei seized a branch and gingerly ran a finger over the tiny infant blossoms, observing their mauve hue, inhaling their perfume. To Hiei's knowledge (which, on floriculture, was limited to say the least) they were one of the early spring flowers, along with the cherry blossoms.

The next morning, Hiei rose before the sun, and left the Keep before the horizon began to gray. He was long overdue, he decided, for a visit to the Hatanaka house.

* * *

"I haven't seen you in a while," Shiori said quietly.

"I … have been away," Hiei replied. He'd meant to come for a while, but had been afraid to.

She offered him tea, which he quickly accepted. Being alone with this woman made him nervous; his throat dried up and he had trouble speaking. A long, awkward silence—another trait of their "quality time"—passed between them. Finally, Shiori spoke up. "I … have some questions I'd like to ask you—"

He dreaded this, but he wasn't surprised. As soon as he realized that the man and boy had left shortly after his arrival, Hiei knew he'd been set up for a one-on-one inquisition with Kurama's mother.

"—But perhaps not right now." He did his best to gaze back calmly while she scrutinized him. "Would you like to go upstairs?" she asked.

Was that one of her questions? He highly doubted it. Upstairs … "Ye—." His voice cracked; he opted to nod instead.

Shiori didn't move. Hiei ascended the stairs alone.

He paused at the door to Kurama's old room. He'd stayed away ever since he brought the roses to …

The room appeared larger now; Kurama probably took most of its contents with him when he moved out. The Hatanakas had apparently converted it into a guest bedroom. He observed it all, taking in the colors of the different flowers that seemed to be everywhere, struggling with the tightening sensation in his throat. Finally, he sat down and rested his face in his hands. "Kurama, you idiot!" he practically sobbed.

"… I deserve that," a voice replied weakly, so faint that it could have been a product of Hiei's invention. He directed his gaze to his right, where Kurama lay. "They say you came to see me in the hospital," the latter said.

Hiei nodded. "I left you roses."

"They said that also—the bright red ones." He smiled. "They're the first things I remember seeing." His smile faltered, and he gave Hiei an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I was asleep when you came."

The Jaganshi shook his head. "You weren't sleeping," he said in a low voice. "They had you doped up on something."

Kurama blinked. "Oh." He looked mildly embarrassed. "Ah, yes, I was told that I was heavily medicated for the first week—"

"I'm sorry," Hiei said.

"Wha—For what?" his friend asked, perplexed.

Hiei stared at the floor. "I should have gone to see you again," he said, voice thick. "But I didn't … I didn't want to see you that way." The sigh of Kurama—incapacitated, drugged, at the mercy of those humans in white coats—had terrified him. Worse: "I was afraid that they might keep you in there; I was afraid that if I came to see you again, and you were still like that—."

He couldn't breathe. He forced himself to inhale, exhale. "I'm also sorry," he continued, "because I could have prevented it. I should have known how bad you'd gotten—"

"Hiei," Kurama interrupted. His voice was still soft, but definitely not weak. "You forget: Had you and Botan not come when you did …"

* * *

Hiei stared at Botan's attempt to revive Kurama, feeling like he'd just been dunked in ice water. And then the shock faded, and he let out an angry growl. "You coward!" he yelled, punching the floor—and wincing immediately afterwards, as beneath the carpet, the floor was very hard. He snarled like an animal, wild with rage. Kurama had teased him with the hope that they might have been happy together. 'I could have made it happen,' Hiei thought. 'I could have been the light!' The idea of it, extinguished, made him feel sick, and he staggered sideways as though drunk. "You bastard!" he roared, this time punching Kurama's wall. The plaster caved in around him, scratching and cutting him as he pulled his fist out.

"Kurama, wake up!" Botan sobbed.

Hiei turned on her, wanting to lash out at her for her foolish persistence at resuscitating the Fox, but then he stopped, and stared.

Kurama's chest was moving. Faintly, but nonetheless, he was breathing—_Kurama was alive._

Elation filled Hiei, and then panic, renewed and more intense than before. Kurama had ingested the entire medicine cabinet, he was probably dying, he'd swallowed all those pills …

An idea struck him. "Move!" he growled at Botan. She almost had it right, except—.

"I'm calling an ambulance!" the ferry-girl announced, scurrying out of his way. He barely heard her; his head felt like it was underwater. Where she had been, he dropped now, and wrapped his arms around Kurama. "I'm not going to let you run away!" he hissed as he pried Kurama's mouth open, slid his fingers inside.

Hiei felt like weeping when the first strangled, gagging cry came, and bile, warm and wet, seeped between his fingers. He held Kurama tightly, restraining the redhead as his body began to thrash like a fish wrenched from the river. His grip didn't loosen, not even when Kurama began to cough and sputter constantly, vomit spilling from his mouth into the tub. Unable to restrain himself anymore, he pressed his face into Kurama's hair and began to cry.

Botan had to pry him off Kurama when the paramedics arrived. He wouldn't surrender the Kitsune on his own accord; he'd been afraid that if he let go for even a second, the harsh, ragged sound of Kurama's breath might stop.

* * *

"You'd be dead," Hiei concluded for him.

Kurama nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes."

Hiei swallowed. "Still, I could have prevented it from coming to that—"

"Hiei, if you continue on like this, I might commit suicide just to escape these absurd lamentations of yours!"

The Koorime gawked at him. It was a joke, Hiei knew. A very bad one. "… Your sense of humor," he finally managed, "is still warped."

Kurama laughed a little, but quickly sobered. "I … I have something I need to tell you," he said. Hiei raised an eyebrow. "When I was in Ganderra, I—"

"Slept with Yomi," Hiei said flatly. "A lot. I know." Kurama widened his eyes. "I, um, saw …" He pointed to the covered Jagan.

"I—I see." Kurama's pale face pinked a little.

Hiei couldn't help himself. "Did he hurt you at all, when he…?" He made a gesture with his hands that made Kurama flush deeper.

"Not too much," the Fox replied hastily.

"Yomi did a lot of things to you that I'd never thought of."

"Just how much did you watch?" Kurama demanded indignantly.

Hiei furrowed his brow, studying his companion. "You need to get out more," he said, ignoring Kurama's question. "You're too white."

"Am I?" Kurama looked outside. "Spring is here. It's grown warmer outside."

"I've seen flowers blooming already," Hiei affirmed. "Soon, the Sakura will bloom too." He paused. "I'd like to take you out when they do, Kurama, and we can watch them together."

Kurama smiled warmly. "I would like that, Hiei." He looked thoughtful. "Hiei, they also told me that when you came to see me in the hospital, you kissed me."

Hiei stared at him for a moment, and then nodded. "I did."

"They—our friends—wondered. My family realized that no one else knew, so they played dumb, and so I got to explain when they finally asked."

"Oh?"

"I … told them that we're lovers."

His answer carried the note of a question. "I think that's a good answer," Hiei said. Kurama smiled again, but promptly faltered. "What?"

Kurama was staring at his face. "Hiei, have you been ill?" he asked, sounding concerned.

He wondered if he looked worse than Kurama. "A little," he confirmed. Before Kurama could inquire further, he said, "I'm not angry about Yomi, by the way. You and I hadn't declared anything before you left, and if you're technically single, then your sex life isn't much of my concern." He shrugged. "Unless it involved rape, maybe. Did Yomi rape you?"

"No."

"Did you rape Yomi?"

"_No._"

A mischievous grin spread over Hiei's lips. "What about Shura?"

"That's not funny, Hiei!"

"I thought it was." Kurama gave him a Look. "It was better than your suicide joke," he said defensively. "Besides, I can't see you with something so short, and stubborn, and—_Shut up_," he growled, as Kurama smirked at him. "_Anyways_, I don't care about what you and Yomi did before." This, of course, was a lie, but he did not wish guilt on Kurama. "But you made us official, when you told the others that we're lovers. So, I hope you haven't gone and fallen for him now."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." He stared out the window. "Spring is here," he repeated, "And I am tired of lying around."

Hiei watched while Kurama climbed out of bed, discarded his robe, and began assembling a more practical outfit for going out in. "… How are you feeling?" he asked slowly, deciding now to breach the subject he'd been hesitant to bring up so far.

"A little weak," the Kitsune replied. "But I have been bedridden, after all."

"And mentally?"

Kurama paused in the middle of buttoning his shirt. "Well …" He shrugged, and smiled a little. "Today is fantastic." Hiei frowned. "Ambiguity is the best that I can offer you," Kurama said apologetically.

At least Kurama's good mood didn't appear superficial today, Hiei thought optimistically.

"Just to warn you, Hiei, Mother and Kazuya took over after the doctors released me—I think the latter were less totalitarian in treatment. We may have a battle before I can join you outside." Kurama was now wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved, button-down indigo shirt. "Shall we?" he said to Hiei.

As predicted, Shiori contested Kurama leaving the house. However, Kurama insisted that he needed the fresh air and exercise—she herself had recently voiced the concern that he was far too pale and fragile-looking—; that he needed to check on his house, which he _refused_ to abandon and _would _continue to live in; and that she shouldn't worry, because Hiei was coming with him—he _did _save his life, after all.

"I'll thank you to in the future refrain from building pedestals that I can't balance on," Hiei said, after Shiori had finally relented and ceased blocking the door. "I'm not a hero, and she's uncomfortable around me."

"Of course she is," Kurama agreed. "You are, after all, her son's enigmatic lover. And Hiei"—he gave the Koorime a dejected look—"I would like to think that preserving _my life _amounts to heroism."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "You hold higher value than I, and I was just fixing what I'd screwed up."

"It _wasn't _your fault!" the redhead exclaimed. "And I was joking earlier, of course, but I still don't want to hear you—"

They'd arrived at the house, and Kurama suddenly fell quiet. Hiei looked, and saw why:

Kurama was staring up at the apartment's face; the roses still covered it, like a mourner's veil of black lace. They had lost their vivacity since the first time Hiei had seen them, and that added with the daylight made them appear less imposing, but they still left an eerie impression. Kurama seemed captivated by the scene, his face blank as he absorbed it. He coughed, looking uncomfortable. "I could … I could kill them …" he said, reaching with a trembling hand for a branch.

Hiei grabbed his wrist. "They should wither on their own," the Koorime opined. "Look, they've already begun to rescind."

Kurama threw the ominous flora a troubled look, but finally nodded. "I'll leave them be," he agreed. "_But_," he reached into the pocket of his jacket, "I'd like something warmer to look at."

He'd withdrawn a dried flower. Hiei watched while Kurama knelt on the ground in front of the house and placed the flower in the soil. Its leaves and petals plumped and brightened, its stem grew and branched out, and soon a young rose bush stood before them, one vibrant red blossom already nearing full bloom.

"I saved it from the bouquet you brought me," Kurama announced triumphantly. He fished out his keys and unlocked the door. "Hiei …"

"What?" he asked, following Kurama inside.

He received a curious look. "Botan told me that _you _did this," said the redhead.

"This" referred to a sizeable hole in the wall. Hiei stared at it, and then muttered, "Botan has a big mouth," which earned a mirthful expression from Kurama.

"Hiei—"

"It hurt me too, you know," he retorted, displaying his wounded arm.

"—if you wanted to help," his lover continued, "I'm tired of looking at these boxes."

The pair proved productive, and was almost done putting away the contents of all the boxes, when Hiei looked over and saw that Kurama had sat down on the couch, and exhausted look on his face. The Fox noticed his gaze, and said in a conceding tone, "I think I should lie down for a while."

Hiei nodded understandingly. "I can finish here."

* * *

Kurama was sound asleep when Hiei looked in on him not half an hour later. He still wasn't the portrait of vigor, Hiei decided, but definitely better than, for instance, when the Jaganshi had left him in Ganderra. This note came with a pang of guilt, which he tried to shake off. He wanted now to focus on his part in Kurama's recovery, not brood on his role in the Kitsune's suicide attempt.

There was room enough on the bed for Hiei to lie down beside Kurama, of which he promptly took advantage. The warmth of Kurama's body to one side of him, and the breeze coming in from the window to the other side of him, felt heavenly, and he soon grew drowsy.

Kurama stirred. "Hiei," he murmured.

"Hn?"

"Before, you accused me of running away."

"What?" he yawned, confused, until he remembered: _"I won't let you run away!" _"I was uuup—" He yawned wider. "—set."

"You were right, though. I tried to run away. I'm sorry."

"Hn …" Kurama's hair made an excellent pillow.

"I won't run away anymore, Hiei."

Hiei felt that lovely, light blanket feeling of someone departing the realm of consciousness. "That's good to know, Kurama," he replied.

* * *

Some time later, Hiei rolled over, only to awaken in confusion after reaching for Kurama and finding only air. The Fox wasn't even in the room. He stretched, and went to the door. His friend was in the room across the hall. "What are you doing?"

"Hm? IM-ing Kuwabara. I haven't seen any of the others since I was released from the hospital. They want me to come over; would you like to go with me?"

Hiei shrugged. He could think of one or two things more entertaining—but he'd rather have at least a few more days or regular meals and sleep before letting Kurama see him minus his clothes.

As though reading his mind, Kurama suddenly declared, "You slept like you hadn't in a while, Hiei."

"I told you, I was ill; I haven't slept well lately."

Kurama pursed his lips. "Mukuro's a busy woman, I know, and normally I wouldn't contest her judgment, but she needs to give you some slack."

"… I'll point that out to her," Hiei said. He made a note to keep Kurama away from Alaric for a while—if Mukuro and the Fox ever compared notes, he'd be in _big _trouble.

* * *

Yusuke and Kuwabara were chasing each other around the latter's house as Hiei and Kurama came up the walk. Each boy possessed a colorful plastic device; Hiei stared, trying to identify what they were—

—And found himself sputtering as a spray of water hit him in the face. "Check it out, Urameshi!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "A squirt for the Squirt!" Hiei growled, while Kurama laughed a little.

"Hey Fox-boy, long time no see," Yusuke greeted. "You didn't choke on the sweet air of freedom on the way over, did you?"

"You make it sound as though I've just been released from prison, Yusuke. Although, the fresh air is much more pleasant than the hospital air; _that _was so sterile that it hurt to smell." As he said this, he pulled out a handkerchief and proceeded to towel Hiei's face.

Their friend laughed at this. "Are you his lover or his _mother_, Kurama?" Hiei threw Yusuke a murderous look. "Have you ever worried that your face might stay like that?" the Detective inquired. "You can scowl all you want; you're not fooling me. Kurama, it's too bad you were all doped up when Hiei came—talk about sentimental—." Yusuke took a step back as Hiei bristled. The Koorime felt Kurama wind one arm round his chest. "No, seriously," Yusuke continued, apparently emboldened by the Fox's gesture. "I mean, he looked like he was about to _bawl_."

"Fuck off!" Hiei snarled.

Kurama's arm tightened its hold. Hiei gave its owner a questioning look, and received a disturbing smile. "Do not make me wash your mouth out," Kurama said. Hiei widened his eyes; the redhead looked like he meant it.

Meanwhile, Keiko didn't seem to find Yusuke's teasing amusing. "What's wrong with being sentimental?" she badgered him.

"Wh-What?" Yusuke sputtered. "Um, nothing …"

"Yusuke's sentimental," Kurama reasoned. "Remember when he thought Toguro killed Kuwabara?"

"You're dead!" Yusuke threw down his water gun and lunged for the carrot-top.

Keiko pursed her lips. "I apologize for him being an idiot."

"I hadn't noticed," Kurama said, shrugging good-naturedly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as the three left Yusuke and Kuwabara to brawl in the grass, and stepped onto the porch.

"Not so bad. It's nice not to be stuck in bed all day."

"You should get out more," Shizuru opined. "I know most redheads are fair, but even for you …"

"Hiei told me something along those lines earlier," the Kitsune replied with a nod.

Suddenly Hiei's body stiffened—Yukina had come up to the pair, studying Kurama from the looks of it. "You look _so _much better than last time I saw you!" she gushed. And then her focus shifted to Hiei, who did his best to conceal his apprehensiveness. "Hiei, are you okay? You look like you've been sick."

His face flushed a little, but not enough that it was noticeable, fortunately. "I-I _was _ill," he confirmed, his voice barely louder than a murmur. It was true, in an abstract sense.

"Hey you two!" Shizuru yelled at Yusuke and Kuwabara, "Let's not have any rape here!" The pair had fought themselves into a compromising position. "Keiko, Yukina, I'm sorry if your future children are, ah … let's say, if they aren't qualified to attend Meiou, like Kurama here."

"Not attending Meiou does not automatically make one unintelligent," Kurama responded lightly, while Yukina protested, "Kazuma's not stupid!"

"_That's _debatable," Hiei muttered. Yukina looked at him. "I … didn't mean that," he said, before adding, "Not completely" under his breath.

"I heard that," she said, but she sounded more playful than angry.

"You two bicker like brother and sister," Kurama teased. Hiei gave him a sharp look.

Suddenly Kuwabara lunged to his feet and bellowed at Yusuke, "Hey, _hey_! That's _Yukina's_!"

The ice maiden turned red—as did Hiei, whose face quickly adopted a scowl. However, he pulled away from Kurama, who had moved as though to restrain him, and shrugged, scoffing, "And I thought the Detective was faithful to his woman?"

"I don't belong to him!" Keiko said indignantly.

Her outburst earned an eye-roll. "Spare me your shrill feminist crap."

"_Excuse me?_"

Suddenly Hiei found himself the object of three identical glares. "I'm not a misogynist," he stated in defense. "I just dislike hypersensitive idiocy."

"He's afraid that rumors might circulate back to his female boss," Kurama said.

"Well, that would be poetic justice!" Keiko declared.

Hiei cast onto her a long, studious glower. "I would have liked you much better," he finally concluded, "if they had let me finish making you a brainless demon."

"Hiei!" Kurama admonished.

"Let's go," the Jaganshi said. "I can feel the estrogen levels rising."

Of course, this only inflamed Keiko further. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're gay, then!"

He stared at her, and then began to laugh. "Only _humans_," he sneered, "are so stupid as to insist on putting little labels on everything they encounter so that they can classify them in a neat little fashion. They barely scratch the surface of deeper matters." He caught Kurama giving him an odd look. "What?"

The Fox suppressed a smile, and shook his head. "Nothing."

However, some time after bidding goodbye to their friends (Yusuke's accidental brushing of Kuwabara's crotch had sparked a new fight, as both tried to prove themselves more masculine than the other) and reversing their path to Kurama's parents' house, the redhead revisited his answer. "I don't think your observation applies only to humans, Hiei," he said suddenly, when they were perhaps a block away from their destination. "But you're very insightful when you want to be." Hiei shrugged off the praise. "I would like to think," Kurama continued animatedly, "that your sentiment may extend to matters other than the hetero-homo hysteria." Hiei nodded nonchalantly—and then it dawned on him just what his lover meant, and he repeated the action more vigorously.

The day was drawing its close. Late afternoon had already gone through its fruit bowl of colors, and the two now found themselves staring at a lovely indigo sky. "Ai," Hiei said, admiring the color.

"Ai," Kurama repeated. "Love."

They had reached the Hatanaka house. "You'll have dinner with us, won't you?" he asked Hiei. With a sly smile, he added, "Can you imagine that not once since I've come home have we had soup?" Hiei smirked. Laughing, Kurama turned onto the walk, when his companion suddenly threw both arms round his waist. "Wha—?"

Hiei kissed the Kitsune's lips. "Ai shiteru, Kurama," he said.

* * *

See? To anyone who has read my other stories, I have now proven that I can use character life as well as character death for shock appeal! And I'll tell you: maintaining the ambiguity of this plot, not lying by stating that Kurama was dead without ruining the ending by giving away that he was alive, was almost painful at times. I couldn't even give away to a friend in real life who's been reading this story that Kurama was in fact alive! Ellipses and dashes became my cohorts in the puzzle, as well as vague statements such as, to the aforementioned friend, that Kurama had swallowed pills (without confirming or denying that it had been fatal).

Oh, and it's been fun, and this story may see a sequel—I've something sketchy in the mind, but I can't make any promises just now—the story's ended, and it's time to turn my attention to new and yet-concluded stories. I thank all who have and will come to this point and fervently hope that you've found the journey fulfilling.


End file.
